Family Love
by MoreThenMyself
Summary: This takes place where Darry is thinking back to three years ago, three weeks before his parents death. One Shot. R&R.


This is a one shot only. I don't plan on adding to this story.

**Family Love**

Present

Darry sat on the porch, and stared out at the sky, thinking about his high school days, when he was friends with the same people who had beat up his little brother just recently, 'He should had been carrying a blade he thought,' but he thought of what his other brother, Soda, had said about the Soc' would had just did Pony worse then what had been done. It's hard sometimes having to watch your brothers, and play the father type.

He remembered when his parents had been alive, it was three weeks before, he had been all packed to go to the college, and was so excited he packed three weeks in advance. Little did he know, the farthest he would ever get out of sharing a room with Soda, and Pony was just five feet down the hall into the room his parents had shared. There he sat on the porch, remembering those weeks as if it had been yesterday, instead of three years.

Three Years Earlier…

Mom was in the kitchen cooking breakfast that morning, with a song on her lips like always, she looked at her eleven year old, who was throwing his potatoes across at the middle fourteen year old, "Ponyboy Curtis, stop throwing you potatoes at Sodapop."

Soda didn't seem to mind, he was getting a kick out of his little brother, and to tell you the truth, only reason Pony was throwing his potatoes at him, was because he threw his first. He looked at his little brother, who was now in trouble for what Soda had started, "Don't yell at him mom, he is just a kid."

She laughed at Soda, he always had away of making anyone laugh she thought, she walked over to her son, "And I suppose you're a man?"

Darry, the oldest walked into the kitchen, and sat down still half asleep, "How are you going to get along without me mom., when I am off at College in Boston?"

Mom started crying as she hurried to her oldest son, and wrapped her arms around him, "I can't believe you are going off to College. You'll be the first Cutis to attend college."

Dad looked up from his paper, and grinned, "You'll lucky you got a full scholarship, otherwise you wouldn't even be able to touch the grass."

Mom took the paper from dad, and smacked him on the head teasingly, "We would had found away for him to get into college near by," she smiled at her husband, "But good thing we don't have to worry about that now, now do we?"

"Just think, our son will be playing professional football someday, and there youll find me in the stands, saying, that's my boy," Dad was always so proud of all his boys, in each a different way.

"Yeah, just think of the cheerleaders," Soda raised an eyebrow, and grinned, something Keith 'Two-Bit' Mathews had taught him.

Mom smacked her middle son with the towel, and looked at her oldest son, "You respect those college girls, they worked just as hard as you did, even harder to get to where they are today," she finally sat down to her cold plate of food, beside Pony.

Pony was day dreaming, "Dad, I want to make you proud of me, like you are of Darry."

Dad laughed at his youngest boy, "Your eleven, and you always make me proud, just like your brothers do."

"I will be the fastest man in Tulsa, mom," Pony nodded to himself, "That's what I will do."

"I want to have my own Auto Shop," Soda leaned back in his chair.

"Just finish school first," Mom was always worrying about Soda and his school, he never did like it, and probably would had not gone at all if she hadn't always been pushing him to go all the time.

"Dad didn't graduate school, and he has his own roofing company," Soda looked at his father.

Dad smiled at Soda, "You're a good kid son," he patted his middle son on the shoulder.

Mom just shook her head and took a bite of her food, she looked at Pony, "How about we go see a movie today?"

"Yeah," Pony's eyes beamed, he quickly finished his food.

Mom kissed his cheek, "My baby," she looked at Darry, then Soda, "My babies are getting so big."

After breakfast everyone got ready for the day, dad, Darry, and Soda were going to the ranch to ride horses, while Pony, and mom were going to go see a movie, and maybe get some ice cream. Everything was perfect.

A Week Later (Still Three Years Ago)

Soda, and Steve were arm wrestling at the dining table, neither of them were close to winning,.

Pony watched in admiration of his brother Soda, "You could do it Soda, beat him, beat him to the ground."

Steve glared at Pony, "Awe, go read a book or something, wont you, and leave us big boys alone."

Pony spit at Steve, causing the boy to loose, "Soda won," he started running as Steve chased him around the house.

Dad came into the house, "What's going on boys?"

"Pony spit in Steve's face," Soda was cracking up by the whole scene.

Dad casually grabbed his youngest son by under the arms, and carried him into the boys bedroom, "You stay in your room until I say you could get out, and no crying."

Steve sat dawn on the couch smiling, but stopped when Mr. Curtis glared at him. Steve was Soda's best friend, and they were always together, not matter what was happening. Dad always said that if there was a war going on, those two boys would most likely be with each other watching the girls run screaming by, not even thinking about death, Soda probably doesn't know how serious death is dad , would often think to himself.

Soda sat beside his friend on the couch:"Dad can Steve stay the night tonight?"

Dad stared at Steve, and nodded, "Fine with me, call your parents."

Dad always seemed impress with Steve, ever since he saw the young boy in action. Dad had lost his key to the truck, and would had been late for a jon, if Steve wouldn't had been there, the boy started the car in less then a moment, ever since then dad always seemed to be impressed with Steve, '"So Steve, how is your dad?"

"Don't even know I am alive most of the time, he kicked me out last night, I came back to the house this morning he gave me ten dollars instead of saying he was sorry," Steve liked it at the Curtis's house, for the same reason everyone else did. The Curtis's didn't beat on kids just for sport.

Pony peaked out of the bedroom door, "Dad, can I please come out?"

"Come on Ponyboy," Dad sat up, and started to light a cigarette.

Just then a small dark boy came into the house.

"Johnny Cade," Mom, who was sitting at the table the whole time, hurried to the small thirteen year old boy, "Come sit down, Darry get the steal from the ice box."

Darry had just gotten back from hanging with his friends, and mom sensed it that he was home, he grabbed the steak, and hurried it to where mom was sitting beside Johnny on the couch, "Here mom," he looked away when he saw how cut up Johnny was.

Dad cursed under his breath, then looked at mom, "Some people don't deserve to have children."

Johnny was like a lost puppy, mom thought, everyone one looked out for him, and everyone of the Greasers hated his parents for what they would do to the boy.

Two-Bit came into the house ten minutes later, he looked at mom, "Mrs. Curtis, mom wants to know if you needed anything from the store while she was out."

Dad looked at the fifteen year old boy, "Hello Keith."

Two-Bit looked at dad, "Call me Two-Bit, Keith sounds like a school boy name," he looked at mom, "Well what do I tell my mom?"

Mom looked at Two-Bit, and smiled, "Tell her I need milk."

"Milk," Two-Bit nodded before he left.

That was a typical day in the Curtis house.

A Week Later 

Darry had been sitting in the living room waiting for his parents to get home, so they could say good bye to them, before him and a friend who was also going to Boston could got. He looked at Soda, "Where is mom, and dad?"

Soda shrugged his shoulders as he sat in dads chair, "I haven't seen them since I went to bed last night."

Pony walked into the house with his face in the book, "Where is mom?"

Soda rolled his eyes, "I don't know, I haven't seen him since last night."

Darry shook his head, "Well if they are not here in fifteen minutes I am leaving without saying goodbye," he looked at Pony, "Where were you all morning?"

"Johnny, and I went to see gone with the wind," Pony sat beside Darry without taking his eyes off the book.

"You wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to our parents, now would you?" Soda grinned, knowing that his older brother could never leave mom without saying goodbye first.

"Your right little buddy," Darry smiled at Soda, and then patted Pony on the back, "You going to miss me?"

Pony looked at his older brother, "Where you going?" He grinned, "Not really…the house willl smell much better without you…more food will be left without you…"

Darry looked at Soda, and the two older brothers started tickling the youngest, "I think you will…"

Knock! Knock!

All three boys froze when they heard some one knocking.

Pony quickly climbed over the couch, and answered it, "Can I help you," he was face to face a police man, "Come in."

The officer stepped into the house, and looked around at the two other older boys, "Who's the oldest?"

Darry stood up where he had been sitting seconds before, "I am the oldest, but whatever I supposedly did, can you please …"

"Your not in trouble son," The officer looked at him, "Won't you please sit down."

"Whatever you need to say, I cold hear standing up," Darry crossed his arms across his chest, showing his muscles.

Soda imitated his older brother, "What do you got to say?"

"Your parents were involved in a wreck," The officer stared at the youngest Curtis.

"Are they alright, where are they?" Pony stared at Darry, and Soda.

"They were driving pass the railroad tracks, the car got stuck, and the train hit them, both of them are dead," The officer watched as the oldest boy grabbed his two younger brothers, and the three of them hugged, and cried.

Present

Pony came outside, and sat beside his older brother, "What are you doing?"

Darry smiled at his brother, "Thinking."

"Now don't hurt yourself," Soda came up the walkway in his work clothes, and sat beside his brother.

Darry playfully punched his middle brother in the arm, "I was thinking about how I was all ready to go to college, and how mom, and dad were so good to our friends."

"I'm sorry you didn't get to go to college," Pony looked at his older brother.

"Yeah me to," Soda stared straight ahead, "Why didn't you go, anyways, and just let them stick us somewhere?"

Darry smiled at his two younger brother, "Because I thought about Steve, Two-Bit, and Johnny, and you guys. Mom, and dad made this like a sanctuary for those boys, or a hide out, and a home. If we didn't have them, and it was just the three of us," he watched as Soda was almost in tears, and Pony was already afraid what Darry would say next, "I would had still stayed here, and take care of all of us, just like mom, and dad did," he pulled both his brothers into a hug, and they watched the sun set.


End file.
